Category Archives: Seeking God

Compassionate, Father / Yahweh, Fear / Reverence for God, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Holy, Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Offering Sacrifices, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God, Speaking, Study the Word, Through Prophets

Do Animal Sacrifices Still Have Relevance Today?

We no longer conduct animal sacrifices as God’s people. Our repentance and forgiveness are no longer administered through an earthly priesthood, but rather now directly through death and resurrection and relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the sacrifice and the priest. He is our savior.

Animal sacrifices documented in the Old Testament were an important part of demonstrating repentance and remaining in communion and relationship with God before Christ’s earthly ministry. There is deep symbolism and meaning to be studied and appreciated that still has meaning today.

The burning body of the animal reminds us of the judgment awaiting those who do not accept the gift of forgiveness by grace through faith offered by Jesus Christ. The penalty for sin is death. God is serious about sin. It is offensive. A holy and righteous God requires a penalty be paid. Fortunately for us, this same loving God came to walk among us as Jesus Christ and pay the penalty for us.

The sacrificial animal was to be without blemish. This is a foreshadowing of the perfection we witness in Jesus Christ.

The owner must choose of his own free will to make the sacrifice. Jesus indeed made this choice of His own free will on our behalf.

The person bringing the sacrifice would take action to put their hand on the head of the animal symbolically so the sacrifice could make atonement on their behalf. Similarly, we must make a choice of our own free will to accept Jesus as Lord and submit our lives to Him. He is our sacrifice, but we must choose Him.

We also see another example of understanding and compassion in our Creator. For those who could not afford the animals of the herd, they could bring one from the flock or even some small birds. God was not demanding someone to go bankrupt with big “donations”. He was leading the people to come before Him asking for repentance and forgiveness. He was helping them to remain aware of their sin and need for repentance.

Leviticus 1

The Law of Burnt Offerings

      1Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, 2“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When any man of you brings an offering to the LORD, you shall bring your offering of animals from the herd or the flock. 3‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer it, a male without defect; he shall offer it at the doorway of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the LORD. 4‘He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, that it may be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf. 5‘He shall slay the young bull before the LORD; and Aaron’s sons the priests shall offer up the blood and sprinkle the blood around on the altar that is at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 6‘He shall then skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 7‘The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire. 8‘Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall arrange the pieces, the head and the suet over the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 9‘Its entrails, however, and its legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer up in smoke all of it on the altar for a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

      10‘But if his offering is from the flock, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt offering, he shall offer it a male without defect. 11‘He shall slay it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD, and Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle its blood around on the altar. 12‘He shall then cut it into its pieces with its head and its suet, and the priest shall arrange them on the wood which is on the fire that is on the altar. 13‘The entrails, however, and the legs he shall wash with water. And the priest shall offer all of it, and offer it up in smoke on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

      14‘But if his offering to the LORD is a burnt offering of birds, then he shall bring his offering from the turtledoves or from young pigeons. 15‘The priest shall bring it to the altar, and wring off its head and offer it up in smoke on the altar; and its blood is to be drained out on the side of the altar. 16‘He shall also take away its crop with its feathers and cast it beside the altar eastward, to the place of the ashes. 17‘Then he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not sever it. And the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar on the wood which is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

There is much more significance than what little I have covered here. The Old Testament is rich with symbolism and meaning to help us understand our Creator and how He wants us to relate to Him even today. Take care not to neglect the study of the Old Testament for sake of only reading the New. That is like reading only part of an instruction manual and assuming you understand the whole thing. Both are consistent. Understanding the Old will help you gain a greater context and understanding for the New. They are intended to work together to communicate the full picture of God’s relationship with His people and how He wants us to live and interact with each other and Himself.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Knowing, Creative, Faith / Trusting God, Father / Yahweh, Guide, His Timing Not Ours, His Ways Are Not Our Ways, Loving / Kind, Obeying God, Seeking God, Study the Word, Teachable

Jehovah’s Works Are Materpieces

Exodus explains in incredible detail the obedience of the craftsmen in building the Tabernacle according to God’s specifications. God was very particular and intentional in His design. He is a master. The craftsmen whom He gifted and charged with building His design took painstaking effort to deliver exactly what was commanded. It must have been extraordinary to see. I am sure the people took time to appreciate the fine detail and symbolic nature of the Tabernacle as they finished it and ultimately used it according to God’s purpose.

Exodus 38:1-20

The Tabernacle Completed

      1Then he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high. 2He made its horns on its four corners, its horns being of one piece with it, and he overlaid it with bronze. 3He made all the utensils of the altar, the pails and the shovels and the basins, the flesh hooks and the firepans; he made all its utensils of bronze. 4He made for the altar a grating of bronze network beneath, under its ledge, reaching halfway up. 5He cast four rings on the four ends of the bronze grating as holders for the poles. 6He made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 7He inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar, with which to carry it. He made it hollow with planks.

      8Moreover, he made the laver of bronze with its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the serving women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.

      9Then he made the court: for the south side the hangings of the court were of fine twisted linen, one hundred cubits; 10their twenty pillars, and their twenty sockets, made of bronze; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 11For the north side there were one hundred cubits; their twenty pillars and their twenty sockets were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 12For the west side there were hangings of fifty cubits with their ten pillars and their ten sockets; the hooks of the pillars and their bands were of silver. 13For the east side fifty cubits. 14The hangings for the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets, 15and so for the other side. On both sides of the gate of the court were hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 16All the hangings of the court all around were of fine twisted linen. 17The sockets for the pillars were of bronze, the hooks of the pillars and their bands, of silver; and the overlaying of their tops, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were furnished with silver bands. 18The screen of the gate of the court was the work of the weaver, of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. And the length was twenty cubits and the height was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court. 19Their four pillars and their four sockets were of bronze; their hooks were of silver, and the overlaying of their tops and their bands were of silver. 20All the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court all around were of bronze.

What has God done in your life or the life of those around you? Have you taken time to pause and appreciate the fine details He has worked out to accomplish His specific purpose? I can reflect across my life at the journey He has brought me through. Many situations I would never have chosen, were knit together by the Master to help me develop and grow closer to Him. The more closely I seek to understand His instruction for how to live my life and the more closely I apply it in my life the better it gets. I can see how He has transformed me and continues to do so. I can now see it reflected in my family where we have established His word as the guide… the lamp unto our feet. I still find myself growing more and more and learning where I could and should do even better to honor Him, often by choosing His way consciously over my own, even in small things. The details matter. Follow God in the details and pause every once in awhile to admire His work. Then continue to seek Him even more.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Compassionate, Encouragement, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Loneliness, Loving / Kind, Peace / Rest, Seeking God, Strong in Our Weakness, Worry/Anxiety

Come To Me, All Who Are Weary and Heavy-Laden

Yeshua (Hebrew name for Jesus) came to be among us for our benefit, not for His. He lived to show us how we should live. He took on Himself the punishment for our sin and died to pay for our transgressions. He rose again, overcoming the grave, and is now with the Father. Nothing is beyond His power. He still loves those who follow after Him. He welcomes those who are weary and heavy-laden. He offers us rest.

Matthew 11:28-30

      28“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. 30“For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Notice that Yeshua speaks about rest for our souls. He does not mean that we can be lazy and physically do very little. This has never been the intent. We can find peace and rest for our souls through Jesus Christ.

Many read this scripture and misunderstand because they do not understand farming. I misunderstood for years. When Jesus says to take His yoke upon us, He is not asking us to pull a burden for Him. Quite the opposite. A yoke is a tool that enables more than one animal to work together to pull the load. He offers for us to put on His yoke so that He will help us with our burdens! When He is helping us, the burden is light, despite all of our difficulties. The yoke  does not remove the work or burden. It allows someone else to help you do the work or shoulder the burden.

Take care not to overlook that we must come to Him. He will not force Himself on us. It must be a conscious choice on our part to seek Him. We will still have to deal with all the troubles that life has to offer, but when we share Yeshua’s yoke, He helps us bear the load. We can find peace and rest for our souls no matter what we are dealing with.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? If you die today, do you know for sure that you would be with God in heaven? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.